🚦Fares, Failures, and the Five-Year MSG Countdown: Welcome to Edition #9 of the BOMA-NY Transportation Report 🗞️
September 2023 | BOMA-NY Codes & Regs Committee
Welcome back, transit trackers and sidewalk sages. Fall may be in the air, but NYC’s transit scene is as hot as ever—and not just from subway platform heat.
In this ninth edition of the BOMA-NY Transportation Report, we’ve got the kind of updates that hit your buildings where it counts: price hikes, service shakeups, congestion tolls, and construction detours. Whether you’re managing a midtown high-rise or fielding delivery complaints at the loading dock, these are the issues shaping commutes, logistics, and long-term urban mobility.
In this issue:
💸 Subway fare hikes are here, just in time for your tenants to notice
🚘 Congestion pricing clears its final federal hurdle—ready or not, it’s coming in 2024
🏟️ MSG gets 5 more years, not forever—raising the stakes in the Penn Station standoff
🚆 Grand Central Madison gets dragged (again), as LIRR scrambles to recover rider goodwill
🚧 Second Ave Subway & Gateway Tunnel both make long-awaited construction moves
🚲 Citi Bike beats Holland Tunnel (yes, really) in daily ridership
🔥 FDNY busts a Brooklyn e-bike shop for battery violations and fuel storage—yikes
Plus: bus lane delays, subway crimes, new train cars, and one very expensive window-smashing spree.
📍Buckle up. As always, this roundup is tailored for CRE professionals who need fast, functional insights—and a few sarcastic smiles—to stay ahead in a city that never stops moving.
— Glenn Waldorf
Transportation Subcommittee Chair
Bell Environmental Services
📞 973-575-7800
✉️ info @ bellenv.com
🗞️ BOMA-NY Transportation Report — September 2023 Summary
Edition #9 | Prepared by Glenn Waldorf, Bell Environmental Services
🚇 1. Subway Fare Hikes
-
Base fare increased from $2.75 to $2.90—first hike in 8 years.
-
Monthly MetroCard rose from $127 to $132.
-
Commuter rail tickets (LIRR & Metro-North) also rose ~4.5%; monthly passes capped at $500.
-
Toll increases at MTA bridges and tunnels took effect August 2023.
🚗 2. Congestion Pricing Update
-
Final federal approval granted in June 2023; launch likely in April 2024.
-
Fee to drive south of 60th Street, funding $15B in MTA capital improvements.
-
Exemptions: West Side Hwy, FDR, low-income residents, emergency vehicles, and cars for people with disabilities.
-
NJ remains opposed, may file legal challenges. Concerns persist over lack of viable public transit alternatives.
🧯 3. Subway Crime & Vandalism
-
While crime isn’t dominating headlines, incidents remain:
-
Subway surfing deaths (4 in 1H23)
-
Massive window-smashing spree disabled 36 trains, cost ~$500K to repair.
-
🏟️ 4. MSG’s Future & Penn Station Tensions
-
City Council subcommittee voted to give MSG only a 5-year special permit, rejecting a permanent extension.
-
Move aims to pressure MSG’s owner to cooperate with Penn Station reconstruction, especially for a grand entrance on 8th Ave.
🚆 5. LIRR/GCT-Madison Backlash & Schedule Fixes
-
GCT-Madison rollout flawed; LIRR failed to order needed new trains since 2017.
-
Riders frustrated by service cuts, transfer requirements, and longer commutes.
-
MTA responding with more express trains, Brooklyn service restoration, and rerouting to Penn Station on event nights.
🚧 6. Second Avenue Subway Expansion
-
Long-promised $7B extension to break ground by end of 2023.
-
Will add 3 stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th Streets, serving 100K+ riders/day.
🚇 7. Hudson Tunnel (Gateway Project) Begins
-
First construction contracts awarded for $16.1B Hudson River rail tunnel.
-
Work starts October 2023 in NJ; tunneling begins 2025, opens by 2035.
🚌 8. NYC Still Lagging on Bus Lanes
-
Mayor Adams pledged 150 miles in 4 years—only ~10 miles added in 2023.
-
NYC still has the nation’s slowest buses (~8 mph avg.).
🍽️ 9. Outdoor Dining Gets Seasonal
-
New law: roadway dining now seasonal, but sidewalk dining allowed year-round starting 2024.
🔋 10. FDNY Cracks Down on E-Bike Hazards
-
Brooklyn shop shut down over “excessive” lithium-ion batteries, illegal modifications, and fuel storage violations.
🚈 11. New Subway Trains Rolling Out
-
Modern R211 trains feature:
-
Wider doors, better displays, built-in cameras, upgraded signal tech.
-
-
MTA deploying 2+ new trains monthly starting August.
🚴♀️ 12. Fun Fact Finale
🚲 More people use Citi Bike daily than drive through the Holland Tunnel.
(A mic drop moment for advocates of micromobility.)
